Rail anchor



1,613,421 H. G. WARR I I RAIL ANCHOR J il' Patented .lan. 4, 1927.

more s'ra'rss roman Pa r tries.

HAROLD G. WARE, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE P 65 M COMPANY,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RAIL ANCHOR. 7

Application filed January 13. 1926., Serial No. 80,981.

My invention relates to rail anchoring de A more specific object istopro'vide an improved one-piece rail anchor formed with jaw portionsadapted to grip the top and bottom surfaces of a rail base at one sideof the rail and formed with n'leans for engaging the top and verticalsurfaces of said base flange at the other side of the rail to lock theanchor in its applied position.

Another object is to provide a one-piece device which may beconveniently i'nade from a flat metal plate recessed to provide therail-gripping jaw portions of the'devicc, the said jaws being sodisposed with relation to each other as to provide in etfect a rcla-,

tively wide bearing surface with respect to the thickness of the platefrom which the device is made. i

The invention has for further objects the provision of such other newand improved features of construction and arrang en'ient of parts aswill be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the abovestated objects and such other objects as will appear from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of the base portionof a railroad rail showing a rail anchoring device, constructed inaccordan'cewith my invention, applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rail anchor device, the base portionof the railroad rail being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 2, the said view beingtaken from the left of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the rail anchor device shown inthepreceding figures.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates the base portion of a railroadrail and the numeral 11 designates one of the cross ties on which therail is supported.

The embodiment of the invention shown rail.

inthe drawing consists of a rail base embracing yoke cut from a steelplate and bent to the configuration shown in the drawing. The yokeconsists of a body portion 12 which extends across beneath the rail baseand is formed with hook shaped jaw portions 13 and 1 1. The jaw portion13 comprises a relatively long arm 15 bent to a U-shaped configurationto provide spaced jaws 13 13 The arm 15 is formed from the ma terial ofthe blank which is ordinarily cut away to provide the recess for thebase of the However, in thisembodiment, the arm 15 is made. relativelylong, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. l, and is bent outwardly towardthe'end of the yoke to form said U-shaped configuration. *The loweredges of the spaced jaws are tapered to correspond with the inclinationof the rail base so as to bear fiat against said inclined top surface ofthe rail base when the anchor'is applied thereto. The free end of thejaw portion 13? is formed with a depending shoulder 16 adapted to snapinto engagement with the vertical surface 17 of the rail base when theanchor-is forced to its applied position on when the anchor is movedfrom the dotted line position of Fig. 2 to the full line position. Theupper edge of the body portion at the jaw end 14 of the anchor bearsagainst the bottom surface of the rail base to substantially the middleof said base, at which point it inclines downwardly with respect to therail base, as shown at 19, so that a portion of the recess 18 underlyingthe spaced jaws will be somewhat wider than the thickness of the railbase. This construction permits the spaced jaws to be readily hookedover one base flange of the rail,

and providesa pivot point' 20, about which the anchor rocks when it isapplied.

In order to provide the necessary clearance to permit the jaw 14 toclear the opposite edge of the rail base, the recess is made somewhatlonger than the width of the base flange of the rail, whereby the anityof this jaw may be effected by bending it from either side of the body.In the drawing, the said jaw is bent outwardly from the body in the samegeneral direction as the long arm 15, whereby a line parallel with thebody passing through the end of the jaw 14; will pass between the saidspaced jaws l3 and 13" at. the opposite side of the rail.

In applying theranchor to a rail, the spaced jaws 1313 first hooked overone flange of therail base so that shoulder 16 will engage the uppersurface of the rail base, substantially as shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawing. lVith' the anchor in this prelimi nary posit-ion, the end ofjaw 14- will clear the opposite edge of the rail base and the apex '20of the angle formed by the edges 19 and 21 of the body will be a shortdistance to the left of the center of the rail base, as viewed in Fig.2. The anchor is then driven transversely of the rail to force the aw14: upon the inclined upper surface of the rail base. This movement ofthe jaw 14 upon the rail rocks the anchor about the pivot point 20. Thisrocking movement is permitted without subjecting the anchor to.

any substantial stress by reason of the fact that the pivot point 20 issubstantially midway between the jaws at opposite ends of the anchor.Under such condition, the spaced jaws 13 3 move down the in clinedsurt'ace of the rail base the same vertical distance that the jaw i lmoves upardly on the inclined surface of the flange at the opposite sideof the rail. There is, however, some preliminary tension effected byreason of the engagement of the shoulder 16 with the top surface of therail'base. The degree of this preliminary tension is determined by thelength of the shoulder 16 and may be partially or entirely relieved whenthe shoulder snaps down over the edge of the rail base to lock theanchor in its applied position. Preierably, the said shoulder is of suchlength that a slight tension remains in the jaw 13 after the anchor hasbeen driven home. The main grip of the ant-hon however, is obtained byreason of the wcdeing engagen'ient of the jaw 14- and the surface of thebody with the upper and lower surfaces. respectively, of the rail base.

In the drawing I have shown a structure that is particularly suitable tobe made of metal of low grade. since any substantial spring tension isnot essential to the proper operation of the device. dowever, it will beapparent that in situations in which it may be desirable to use a highergrade metal having more resiliency, advantage or such resiliency can beobtained by shifting the pivot 20 toward the jaw 14 or by increasing theangularity of jaw 1-2 with respect to the upper inclined surface of therail base so as to provide a differential arrangement of parts whichwill effect an increasing spring grip as the anchor is driven home. Itwill also be seen that the preliminary spring grip of the anchor may beincreased by decreasing the vertical distance between the bearingsurfaces of the jaws BB -l3 and the horizontal edge 21 of the anchorbody. By such construction the anchor may be subjected to greaterdistortion than will be re lieved by themovement of the jaws 13 13"downwardly on the inclined surface of the rail base. i 1

lVhile I have described my invention in connection with one specificembodiment it will be obvious that modifications in structure may bemade without departure from the spirit or my invention. 1, therefore,wish it understood that I contemplate all variations in structure thatcome within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I I

1. A rail anchor comprising a yoke. which is relatively thin withrespect to its vertical dimension when applied to a rail, formed at oneend with a jaw portion for gripping the top and bottom surfaces of arail base at one side of the rail, provided at the other end with a jawportion normally "engaging the top surface 01' the rail base at theother side of the rail, and provided with means for engaging thevertical edge of the rail to lock the anchor in its applied position.

2. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of a rail to itsapplied position comprising a yoke which is relatively thin with respectto its vertical dimension when applied to a rail, formed at one end witha jaw portion for gripping the top and bottom surfaces of a rail base atone side oi? the rail and provided at the other end with a jaw adaptedto bear against the top and vertical surfaces of the rail base to lockthe anchor in its applied position.

3. A rail anchor comprising a yoke which is relatively thin with respectto its Vertical dimension when applied to a rail, formed at one end witha jaw portion for gripping the top and bottom surfaces of a 4. A railanchor comprising a yoke which is relatively thin with respect to itsvertical dimension when. applied to a rail, formed at one end with arelatively rigid jaw portion adapted to be driven transversely of therail into wedging engagement with the top and bottom surfaces of a railbase at one side of a rail and formed at the other end with a resilientjaw adapted to bear upon the top surface of the rail base; the positionof said resilient jaw with respect to the body of the. anchor being suchthat the said jaw is tensioned by transverse move ment of the yoke toits applied position.

5. A rail anchor comprising a steel plate recessed to provide a yokehaving at one end a relatively rigid jaw portion adapted to be driventransversel of the rail into wed 'in engagement with the top and bottomsurfaces of a rail base at one side of a rail and having at the otherend a resilient jaw adapted to bear upon the top surface of the railbase; the position of the said resilient jaw with respect to the body ofthe anchor being such that the said jaw is tensioned by thetransversemovement of the yoke to its applied position.

6. A rail anchor comprising a yoke mem ber formed at one end with a jawadapted to be hooked over one edge of a rail base and provided at theother end with a jaw portion adapted to grip the top and bottom surfacesof said base at the opposite side of the rail; the part of said lastmentioned aw portion for gripping the top surface of said base beingdisposed at an angle with respect to the side faces of the yoke.

7. A rail anchor comprising a yoke formed at one end with a jaw portionadapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the top and bottomsurfaces of a rail base at one side of the rail, and formed at the otherend with spaced jaws adapted to be. moved transversely of the rail intogripping engagement with the top surfaces of the rail base at theopposite side of the rail;

the spaced jaws being so disposed with relation to the first mentionedjaw as to assume their operative position when said first mentioned jawis driven home.

8. A rail anchor comprising a yoke formed at one end with a jaw portionadapted to be driven into gripping engagement with the top and bottomsurfaces of a rail base at one side of the rail, and formed at the otherend with spaced jaws for engaging the top surface of the rail base atthe opposite side of the rail; one of said jaws being provided with ashoulder adapted to snap down over the upper longitudinal edge of therail base when the yoke is driven home.

9. A 'ail anchor comprising a metal plate recessed to provide a long lugat one end and a short lug at the other adapted to bear against the topsurface of the rail base at opposite sides of the rail; said long lugbeing bent to provide rail engaging jaws spaced from each otherlongitudinally of the rail.

10. A rail anchor comprising a metal plate recessed to provide long andshort lugs at opposite ends of the plate adapted to bear against the topsurface of the rail base at opposite sides of the rail; said long lugbeing bent to provide rail engaging jaws spaced from each otherlongitudinally of the rail and the free end of one of the spacel jawsbeing formed with a shoulder for engaging the vertical surface of therail base.

11. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of a rail to itsapplied position con'iprising a yoke member formed at one end withspaced jaws for engaging the top surface of a rail base at one side ofthe rail, and at the other end with a jaw for engaging the top surfaceof the base at the other side of the rail; the upper edge of the body ofthe yoke intermediate said jaws being formed at an angle, one leg ofwhich bears against the bottom of the rail base when the anchor is inits applied position.

12. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of the rail to itsapplied position comprising a yoke member formed at one end with spacedjaws for engaging the top surface of the rail base at oneside of rail,and at the other end with a jaw for engaging the top surface of the railbase at the other side of the rail; the upper edge of the body of theyoke intermediate said jaws being formed at an angle and one leg ofwhichbears against the bottom of the rail base when the anchor is in itsapplied position, and the other leg of which extends downwardly from therail base to provide clearance for the purpose described.

13. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of the rail to itsapplied position, comprising a yoke member formed at one end'with spacedjaws for engaging the top surface of a rail base at one side of a rail,and at the other end with a jaw for engaging the top surface of the railbase at the other side of a rail, the upper edge of the body of the yokeintermediate said jaws being formed at an angle,. the apex of whichbears against the bottom of the rail base and provides an axis about-which said anchor rocks during its application to a rail.

one end with spaced jaws forengaging the upper surface of the rail baseat one side of the rail and at the other end with a jaw for engaging thetop surface of the lit) base at the other side of the rail; the upperedge of the body of the yoke intermediate said jaws being formed at anangle, the apex of which bears against the bottom of the rail base andprovides an aXis about which said anchor rocks during its application toa rail, and said spaced jaws being disposed with relation to said axiswhereby they are tensionei during the initial transverse n'iovement ofthe yoke and subsequently relieved of a portion of said tension.

15. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transverseiy ot the rail to itsapplied position, formed from a blank recessed to provide at one end ashortjaw adapted to be driven into wedging engagement With one flange ota rail base and at the other end with a relatively long lug bent toprovide spaced jaws for engaging the top surface of the base flange ofthe rail at the opposite side of the rail; a portion oi the re-V thanthe thickness of the rail base to facili-i tate application of theanchor to a rail.

16. A rail anchor adapted to be driven transversely of the rail to itsapplied position, formedirom a blank recessed to provide at one end ashort jaw adapted to be driven into wedging engagement with one flangeof a rail base and at the other end with a. relatively long lug bent toprovide maced jaws for engaging thetop surface of the base flange ot the.rail at the opposite side of the rail base; a portion of the recessbeneath the spaced jaws being wider than the thiei-zness of the railbase to taciiitate the application of the anchor to a rail and the Ltreeend of said long lug being formed witha shoulder adapted to snap overthe edge of. the rail base.

HAROLD G. CARE.

